Conservation Officer – Scottish Lowlands & Southern Uplands Area

What the job is about …. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for nature and its protection, an eye for detail and excellent advocacy skills to help deliver conservation work in the south of Scotland.

Stretching from Stranraer and Ayr in the west to the Lammermuir hills and St Abb’s in the Scottish Borders, and from the Solway Firth in the south to East Kilbride in the north, the area of operation of the Scottish Lowlands and Southern Uplands supports a variety of species including the entire southern Scotland black grouse population, breeding and wintering raptors, Greenland white-fronted geese, nightjar, seabirds, breeding waders and the habitats which support them from moorland, peatland, farmland, and forestry to coastland and wetlands. The area includes the RSPB Priority Landscape – Muirkirk, North Lowther and Clyde Valley. It also encompasses the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere and seven Special Protection Areas (SPA) for birds. Overall, the Area comprises Dumfries & Galloway, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.

As a Conservation Officer you will work closely with the Senior Conservation Officer and the wider area team alongside regional colleagues and Scottish headquarters to deliver a range of work to help our priority species and habitats. Examples of this will include:

- Responding to development casework to ensure priority sites and species are safeguarded and enhanced; - Organising and taking part in surveys for priority species; - Recruitment and coordination of volunteers in support of species survey work; - Liaising with external partners across the region to deliver conservation projects; - Acting as an advocate for RSPB Scotland, including by delivering talks and representing RSPB at events.

The role is varied, with some room to make it your own. Your working week will align with seasonal priorities and ongoing work priorities ranging from rising at dawn to seek out, record and experience the magic of lekking black grouse, setting out at dusk to marvel and record the enigmatic nightjar to assessing developments that could impact priority species, habitats and sites where you will seek opportunity to negotiate mitigation measures and habitat enhancements for their protection. A key quality for this role will include…

- knowledge of wildlife and habitat management;

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales No. 207076 Scotland No. SC037654

- strong analytical skills, to digest information and pick out critical points of interest to our work; - the ability to manage a varied and busy workload; - an ability to advocate RSPB Scotland’s message and influence decision-makers; - a passion for connecting people to wildlife and inspiring them to take-action to protect the natural world; - energy and enthusiasm to deliver the best for the area’s wildlife.

The Conservation Officer will be part of a friendly, enthusiastic area team, with a strong emphasis on working collaboratively and mutual support. There will be lots of opportunities to develop new skills and build on existing areas of expertise.

The ability to travel across the area through use of a pooled vehicle is essential. General fitness levels are also required for occasional hill walking for lek survey work. There will also be office based work involving the use of Microsoft (word, excel) and GIS based systems in the production of management plans along with the day-to-day use of the RSPB’s outlook email system.

The post will be based within the Area, probably at our Dumfries & Galloway Area Office in Crossmichael although flexible working will be accommodated in line with business needs through hot-desking at other offices in the Area.

May 2017

Who we are and what we do

The RSPB exists to give nature a home. We help our birds, other wildlife and natural places survive and thrive.

On our doorstep are woods and farmland, moors and marshes, cliffs and mountains. They are home to an astonishing array of precious but threatened wildlife. Every species is unique, but they are all connected to one another. And every one of them needs a home to survive.

Sadly, many of our best loved and most iconic species can’t find a welcome home here any more. It’s our job to change this. A country that’s not home to skylarks and puffins, red squirrels and hedgehogs is not a country any of us want to live in.

To protect our threatened birds and other wildlife, we need to protect the places where they live. If we are taking care of nature, we are taking care of ourselves and future generations.

The RSPB in a nutshell

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB):

• Was formed in 1889 to counter the barbaric trade in bird plumes for women’s hats • Has since grown into a world-leading wildlife conservation organization and now speak out for all birds and wildlife, tackling the problems which threaten our environment • Has over a million members, including more than 200,000 youth members • Has more than 2,000 active staff members and almost 18,000 volunteers, who donate more than a million hours of their time – that’s the equivalent of 600 full-time staff • Has a NET income available for charitable purposes of £89.3 million • Has more than 200 nature reserves covering 143,7800 hectares and home to 80% of our rarest or most threatened bird species • Has a UK headquarters, three national offices and eight regional offices • Has a network of over 150 local groups and more than 150 youth groups • Has an impressive global reach, with active projects and capacity building programmes in 26 countries and 10 UK Overseas Territories • Is the UK partner and leading player, in Birdlife International • Has the largest charity mail order operation in the UK, and also has the UK’s most successful charity credit card

Volunteers

Volunteers founded the RSPB 125 years ago and remain a vitally important part of the organization today; there are approximately nine volunteers for every paid member of staff Our volunteers bring a unique range of skills and qualities to the RSPB, help stretch our scarce resources and keep us in touch with grass roots.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales No. 207076 Scotland No. SC037654

Our Strategy, Mission and Cultural Values

Our Strategy

Our vision: a world richer in nature Imagine this. Wild birds and other wildlife will no longer be declining. Nature is restored, enriching and sustaining the lives of people as a result. Such a world would guarantee that future generations have clean air and water, a stable climate, abundant and diverse wildlife, and a robust, diverse and sustainable economy.

Our long-term purpose: saving nature We believe that: • There is a moral imperative to save nature • Nature is crucial for peoples quality of life and the planet’s life support systems • Birds are an integral part of the web of life • We are well placed to stand up for birds and all nature • The challenge is great, we must work with others to succeed • We need growing popular support

Our Mission

By 2020… Our work is both urgent and important and we need to act now to make a difference. The world’s governments have committed to halting biodiversity loss by 2020 and we will challenge them, as well as businesses, civil society and ourselves, to take the steps necessary to reach this goal, and then go further.

Our Cultural Values

Our cultural values are the way we work with each other and partners:

Bold We speak out honestly for what we believe in, aiming higher and pushing further for growth. We seek to provide innovative, fun and sociable ways for people to get involved

Focused We identify where birds and wildlife are most under threat, then act decisively and with commitment to save them and deliver tangible results

Supportive We support each other and our sector partners in order to flourish, and make sure our supporters receive reward and recognition for their contribution

Together We work together for the biggest possible impact across the RSPB and with partners across the UK and globally

May 2017

What we offer

The RSPB offer some great benefits to reward and support you while working with us.

Pay We offer a competitive salary to attract and retain great people.

Flexible Working We pride ourselves on being a flexible and supportive employer. We realise that our staff have demands on their time outside of work, and are open to requests to work flexibly. There are a range of options to support you such as flexitime, TOIL and parental leave. Depending on the circumstances, up to five paid days a year is offered for unexpected family emergencies, elective medical procedures and compassionate leave.

Annual leave Our leave year runs from 1 April to 31 March. When you start you will receive 26 days’ holiday, excluding public holidays (four days are taken during the RSPB’s Christmas shutdown). This will increase to 28 days after three years' continuous service and 30 days after seven years' continuous service. Leave will be pro-rata for part time staff and where you start part way through the year.

Pension The RSPB offers a defined contribution pension scheme to all uk based staff, with a matching employer contribution of up to 7%.

Life Assurance All employees age 18 or over and under 75 are automatically covered for death in service benefit. A lump sum of five times basic salary at the date of the employee’s death is paid to their beneficiaries or estate.

Maternity, paternity and adoption leave To support your family life we have enhanced our legal obligations towards employees. We offer up to 12 weeks full salary to employees going on maternity or adoption leave, and up to two weeks on full salary to employees taking paternity leave.

Sickness Pay If you become ill, you are supported by our enhanced Occupational Sick Pay Scheme. Your entitlement is determined by length of service, but can be up to a maximum of 36 weeks for full-time staff. We also work closely with one of the UK’s leading occupational health providers, to help you in returning to work.

Employee Assistance Scheme All RSPB employees have free access to an Employee Assistance Programme provided by The Validium Group. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Staff Association All employees are eligible to join our staff association. The RSPB set up the Staff Association to independently protect and promote the interests of staff. It is officially recognised by the Management Board and Council and is consulted on many key decisions. The Staff Association also negotiate member discounts on a wide variety of goods and services.

Learning and Development The RSPB is committed to supporting all RSPB employees with quality learning and development opportunities. We offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities including our induction process, on-going training and e- learning. We prioritise leadership and management which is key to people motivation and success. Our recent

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales No. 207076 Scotland No. SC037654 leadership programmes have received the Institute of Leadership and Management accreditation. The Learning and Development team’s focus and aim is to help both you and the organisation to succeed.

Volunteering All employees are entitled to one extra day of paid leave each year to spend volunteering. This can be for any charity or voluntary organisation - not just the RSPB.

Sabbaticals After five years' continuous service, and each five years thereafter, all employees are entitled to a 4 week sabbatical. This is a chance to take time out of your busy day-to-day job to do research, volunteer, learn a new skill or travel. Sabbaticals should have specific goals and objectives designed to benefit both you and the RSPB.

Childcare Vouchers The Childcare Voucher Scheme is open to all employees who are parents or guardians and currently use childcare facilities. Employees can opt to receive part of their salary in childcare vouchers up to a maximum of £243 per month to use with a wide range of childcare providers. The amount received in vouchers is tax free.

Green loans Employees can apply for an interest-free loan to buy a bicycle or a season ticket.

RSPB Nature Reserves and RSPB retail Employees can visit any RSPB reserve free and can receive up to 20% off retail items in the RSPB’s shops. Relocation We are able to offer a limited amount of financial help towards relocation costs for employees, depending on the circumstances. We need the right people in the right place so offer financial help towards relocation costs for employees, depending on the circumstances. Whether you are a home owner or renting, we may be able to offer you assistance.

How we expect you to work

The RSPB has seven key competencies that are important to our organisation’s success. We expect all employees to demonstrate the following behaviours in everything that they do:

Direction: You ensure you have a clear direction and sense of common purpose that guides what you do and how you approach your work.

Energy: You bring energy and urgency to the RSPB to motivate people to do the best they can.

Capability: You build your own and other people’s capabilities, directly and indirectly.

Relationships: You communicate effectively and build productive internal and external relationships

Change: You support continuous improvement and change and constantly look for way to do things better.

Advocacy: You act as an advocate for the RSPB.

Performance: You get things done achieve ambitious goals and the RSPB’s aims.

May 2017

Environmental Statement

We have a role to play in protecting our environment by being as ‘green’ as possible. As a conservation organisation, we know a healthy environment is critical for nature and that we need to lead by example. Through our environmental management system (EMAS), we have an Environmental Policy, objectives and targets which prioritises where we can do most. All staff members are asked to respect and adhere to our green principles

Equality and Diversity at the RSPB

The RSPB is part of a global network that incorporates a diversity of traditions and cultures, and which represents different inheritances, backgrounds, influences, perspectives and experiences. A better understanding of people’s differences will help us to appreciate and value everyone’s contribution, and recognise that we are all an integral and invaluable part of the RSPB.

Everyone has the right to be treated with consideration and respect. The RSPB is committed to achieving a truly inclusive environment for all, by developing better working relationships that release the full potential, creativity and productivity of each individual, and an atmosphere where everyone can learn, work and live free from prejudice, discrimination, harassment and violence.

The RSPB aims to ensure that all staff, volunteers, partners, clients, contractors, members and the general public are treated fairly. Unless it can be shown to be justified, this will be regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender re- assignment, marital or civil partnership status, race (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, or national origin), disability, medical status, age, religion or belief, political opinion, social or economic status, or ex-offender status.

Employment Checks

All offers of employment are made subject to the following criteria: Proof of eligibility to work in the UK, Satisfactory Employment Health Check, Two references satisfactory to the RSPB and where required a Satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau Check.

Applications from candidates requiring a certificate of sponsorship under the UK points-based immigration system will not be considered if there are suitable candidates who do not require sponsorship. This is because employers need to demonstrate that they are unable to recruit a resident worker, before they can recruit a non-resident worker*.

The resident worker rule does not prevent applicants requiring sponsorship from applying for our vacancies, but such applications should be made on the understanding that they can only be considered subject to the restrictions above.

For further information, please visit the Home Office UK Border Agency website. *This rule does not apply to those applying for roles that require a bachelor, postgraduate degree or postgraduate certificate in education qualification. It is necessary for the qualification to be an essential requirement for the role and the applicant to prove that they possess such a qualification (or have completed a minimum of 12 months study in the UK towards a UK PhD), which is recognised in the UK.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales No. 207076 Scotland No. SC037654